TY - JOUR

T1 - Structural and Functional Brain Changes in Migraine

AU - Ashina, Sait

AU - Bentivegna, Enrico

AU - Martelletti, Paolo

AU - Eikermann-Haerter, Katharina

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Migraine is a prevalent primary headache disorder and is usually considered as benign. However, structural and functional changes in the brain of individuals with migraine have been reported. High frequency of white matter abnormalities, silent infarct-like lesions, and volumetric changes in both gray and white matter in individuals with migraine compared to controls have been demonstrated. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies found altered connectivity in both the interictal and ictal phase of migraine. MR spectroscopy and positron emission tomography studies suggest abnormal energy metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as other metabolic changes in individuals with migraine. In this review, we provide a brief overview of neuroimaging studies that have helped us to characterize some of these changes and discuss their limitations, including small sample sizes and poorly defined control groups. A better understanding of alterations in the brains of patients with migraine could help not only in the diagnosis but may potentially lead to the optimization of a targeted anti-migraine therapy.

AB - Migraine is a prevalent primary headache disorder and is usually considered as benign. However, structural and functional changes in the brain of individuals with migraine have been reported. High frequency of white matter abnormalities, silent infarct-like lesions, and volumetric changes in both gray and white matter in individuals with migraine compared to controls have been demonstrated. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies found altered connectivity in both the interictal and ictal phase of migraine. MR spectroscopy and positron emission tomography studies suggest abnormal energy metabolism and mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as other metabolic changes in individuals with migraine. In this review, we provide a brief overview of neuroimaging studies that have helped us to characterize some of these changes and discuss their limitations, including small sample sizes and poorly defined control groups. A better understanding of alterations in the brains of patients with migraine could help not only in the diagnosis but may potentially lead to the optimization of a targeted anti-migraine therapy.

KW - Brain

KW - Functional

KW - Migraine

KW - MRI

KW - Neuroimaging

KW - PET

KW - Spectroscopy

KW - Structural

U2 - 10.1007/s40122-021-00240-5

DO - 10.1007/s40122-021-00240-5

M3 - Review

C2 - 33594593

AN - SCOPUS:85108666305

VL - 10

SP - 211

EP - 223

JO - Pain and Therapy

JF - Pain and Therapy

SN - 2193-8237

ER -